L'Cie Are Beautiful People
by YGP
Summary: Discontinued
1. Break Free

_**Author's Notes:** Thank you for checking out my next story! This one has been sitting on my computer for years unfinished, but I wanted to post it for the longest. __If you've ever read "The Arrangement", this one is similar. This is mainly rated T, but it will be M for chapters later on. __For the readers who follow my HopexLight stories, there are still more to come that I would like to post! _

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"_How did things end up this way…? The place I once called home had now become my prison. No longer was I able to leave freely. I see very few people and very few people are able to see me. This is my isolation and yet my refuge. I'm trapped in a floating castle in the sky. I was placed with a curse that I don't know how to get rid of or what's to become of me because of it. What destruction was I supposed to bring? What was I supposed to do with this power? I may not know until it happens. By then, I probably won't know until it's too late…" _

_Chapter 1: Break Free!_

As night was casted over the skies, a few stars shined their light clearly. The sixteen-year-old lifted her head as she gazed up. She sat inside, on her window ceil, within the open window. A cool breeze entered in and slightly blew her pink hair aside from off her shoulder. Things were quiet around. Beyond her window, her eyes stretched beyond the grounds of her house across Eden. Even if she thought about going outside, she knew that she couldn't go far. The guards that were stationed around were under strict orders to keep watch over the premises. One step too far off of the grounds and they were under orders to bring her back. Her knees curled up toward her chest as her arms wrapped around them for comfort. She lowered her head onto her knees and buried her face within her skirt. She tried not to let the loneliness get to her, but the feeling couldn't help but surround her and close in. Was this to be her life from now on? That the only things she could see of the world was what was beyond her window? Even though the big house she lived in wasn't a castle, she still called it the 'castle in the sky'. It was above everything in Cocoon. She heard that if you gazed up from the land below, Eden seemed distance like a star. Still, she had no way to prove it was true since she never left Eden. For now, she would push all of those thoughts aside of wondering what was beyond this place and focus on what was ahead of her, but why was that so hard to accept? More than anything, all she wanted was her freedom...

Suddenly, she heard a faint, rattle sound that made her ear twitched. Slowly, she lifted her head. At first, she thought it was nothing, but wanted to check just in case. When her eyes traveled over, she wasn't sure how to react, whether to be stunned or confused. She was torn between the two. In the grass, near her window, she saw a small, red ball. It seemed very familiar to her and she knew that it wasn't there before, so where could it have come from? Her hand reached over and picked it up from the ground. She took time to observe it. Her mind couldn't tear away from the fact that it was recognizable even if it was generic.

Out of nowhere, she heard a high-pitched whistle. Her eyes lifted up with confusion as she stared out in the distance. There was nothing there, yet it sounded familiar as well. Unable to keep her curiosity at bay, she stepped down from her window. Her feet touched the soft grass below. She was cautious as she walked across the grounds and made sure that no one noticed her. Some feet away, she made it off of the grounds and stopped near the edge. The closer she got, the sooner the whistling sound had stopped. Curiously, she glanced off the edge below her. "Claire… It's been a long time." Her eyes widened as she was stunned. She couldn't believe who she saw clearly in front of her. There he was, with the familiar grin, his lively, green eyes, and soft, silver hair that glowed in the moonlight. He was riding on a hover cycle, floating in the air. It had been a long time since they've seen each other. She couldn't help but wonder why he was there now? The nineteen-year-old kept his smile on as he stared at her. "How have you been? It's been a while since we've last seen each other, a little over a year almost."

Claire's expression grew serious as she held onto her arms. "Exactly… What are you doing here Hope?" He grew surprised. He thought that she would be happy to see him. Claire's eyes traveled over to the side as she felt uneasy. "You need to go. Now." Surprise swelled more inside of him. This was not the warm welcome he expected. They used to be close, but now, she made it seemed as if she didn't want to see him again. His eyes drifted to the side hurt and disappointed. Claire glanced over and took notice of the face he made. She didn't mean to make him feel that way. She turned more toward him, being serious as she could. "You need to leave now. It's not safe for you to be here."

Hope became curious. A small part of him wondered what was going on. "How come?"

Claire frowned. "Why are you here?"

He was taken aback by her question. He thought the reason was obvious. "To see you of course."

Claire was surprised by his answer, but then relaxed her body. She needed to maintain a serious front. "Why do you want to see me? You don't have any reason to. What was arranged between us is over. You don't have any obligation to be here or to me."

Hope looked down, saddened. "I know that. What was arranged between us is over, but… that still doesn't change the fact that… I still wanted to." The surprise on her face became clear enough for him to see. Soon, her eyes lowered as she became uneasy. He was a little concerned, but then lifted his eyes to her again. "I couldn't really…stay away."

Claire's eyes lowered with her hands together in front of as they began to tense. "You should go…"

He was still somewhat concerned. "I thought that you would have been happy to see me again, but I guess… that's not the case." He closed his eyes, reluctant. "I'll do as you say. I'll go."

She watched as he turned away and got ready to take off. Letting her guard down, she began to get anxious. She didn't want him to think that she wasn't happy. It was just her confusion, surprise, and concern coming to the surface all at once. Before he left, he heard her voice call out to him. "Wait!" Words escaped from her. Her eyes didn't lift to meet his.

Curiously, he looked over. "Claire… is everything okay?" She didn't reply. She hadn't spoken to anyone about what she was going through. It didn't seem like it would make a difference nor did she want to place her feelings or burden on anyone else. Hope became more concerned. "Answer me. Is everything okay?"

"I can't talk here," she finally answered him.

Her words only made him more worried. "Come with me."

For a few seconds, her eyes widened. Hearing those words were like a door opening for her to walk through. Still, she knew the risks of leaving and couldn't do it. She relaxed her body and suppressed the urge to take his offer. "I can't."

He gave a confused look. "Why not?"

Her eyes traveled toward the side as she pressed her fist against her chest. "I'm not allowed to leave this place…ever."

Her words stunned him. "You're not allowed to leave?"

Even though she tried to hide it, some of her sadness seeped through. "Yes... There are soldiers watching my every move. I had to sneak out here just to see what was calling out to me."

With a question on his mind, he was afraid of what the answer would be. "Have you ever… been able to leave here?"

Claire shook her head with her eyes closed. "No. I'm under strict orders not to and the soldiers will not allow me to leave." She looked back to make sure no one was watching them. "I better go back before someone notices I'm missing."

Before she could walk away, she heard his voice. "Why…do you look sad?"

Claire turned back to him. She took a moment before she spoke. "I'm not."

Hope stared at her sincerely. "We've known each other for a long time. I can tell when you are. What is it? Is it being here? Do you feel trapped?" Claire remained silence. She wasn't ready to give him that answer. Hope hoped that she would tell him something. "You don't have to hide it. Remember what I said before we had to split? I told you that I would be there if you needed me." Her eyes traveled toward the side. More, it was became written on her face. Hope didn't want her to feel sad. Finally, an idea came into his head. He knew it was risky and that there was a possibly that she would say no because of the situation she was in, but he still wanted to make her sadness go away. "Come with me," he let out without holding back. Her eyes turned to him uneasy. He held out his hand. "Just for a night. Then I'll bring you right back."

She looked down. "I don't know. That would involve me having to sneak back in before anyone notices."

He gave a determined stare. "I'll have you back before anyone notices. Listen. No one wants to stay stuck in the same place forever. Remember years ago, when you would ask me all of those questions about what the world was like? Now is your chance. I promise that I'll have you back before anyone notices. Trust me." Claire stared at his hand. He was offering her something she wanted, even if it was just for a night. It was the freedom to get away from this place. When she didn't respond, Hope placed his hand back down as he thought that she wouldn't accept his offer. He wanted to help, but what else could he do? He breathed out with his eyes closed. "It's all right... I'm sorry that I pushed this." He smiled a little at her. He didn't want to leave, but figured it was best. "It was good to see you again… Claire."

She watched as he got ready to leave. More, the offer became tempting. She probably wouldn't get a chance like this again. Soon, he started riding off. Her eyes widened as she became anxious. She took off and ran along the edge. "Wait!" He looked back and stopped. She jumped off of the edge. A look of worried crossed his face once he saw her do so. Instantly, he reached out his hand to grab hers. She sat on the back of his bike behind him. He looked back at her as she looked serious. "Let's go. I don't have a lot of time."

"Does that mean you've decided to go with me?" She nodded. A rush of adrenaline had taken over her. The strict side of her wanted to obey what she was told, but this time, her need to be free from that place overwhelmed her restraint. While she didn't feel that she would regret it now, she took a chance on it. He flashed her a brief smile. "Hang on to me."

Instinctively listening, she wrapped her arms around his waist. He took off and headed down below. When she turned her head back, Eden became smaller in the distance. Finally, it was happening. Even she couldn't believe that she left for the first time. The wind that blew passed them felt cool to the touch. Yet, at the same time, it felt good. For once, in a long time, she felt a twinge of excitement in her stomach. She wondered what she would see that she had never seen before. She turned her head back forward. Pass the wild, waving, silver hair, she saw a little of Hope's face. There was a smile to his lips that hinted at a bit of excitement as well. Growing up, she never thought of him of being the bad boy type nor did he really show it. He didn't completely break her out of prison, although, it did kind of seem like it. He was always sweet toward her, so she knew that he was doing it out of the kindness of his heart. Whenever she needed help, he was there as much as he could be. That was just how he always was. More, she took a moment to look at him. He hadn't changed much over the year that they weren't able to see each other.

"_I was surprised to see that he came for me. I've known him for almost all of my life. Well… really all of my life, even for the parts I don't remember. I've known him ever since I was born..."_

_Flashback…_

_A mother smiled gently as she looked down at the newborn girl. Soon, two other people stepped into the room. Another woman, that carried a child in her arm, walked over to the new mother. She smiled as well. The woman lying in bed lifted her eyes to the woman carrying the two-year-old. She gave a tired smiled. "It's over finally… It's a girl." She turned her eyes to the sleeping child. "We've decided to name her Claire." _

_The woman, who stood nearby, smiled with relief. "A girl…" she breathed out and repeated. _

_Claire's mother smiled more. "That means that things will work out between Pulse and Cocoon just as we wished Nora. This way we can finally bring peace between the two worlds. The arrangement can finally begin." _

_Nora turned her eyes over to the two-year-old that she held in her arm. "Yes... Over time, as they grow up, Hope and Claire will learn to get along and bring everyone together." _

_Curiously, Hope stared toward Claire and her mother. Nora took notice and walked closer to the bed. She let Hope lean over and crawled onto the bed beside Claire's mother. As he sat on the front of his legs, he stared curiously at the bundle in her arms. Her mother let out a smile. "I'm sure that you and Claire will become good friends Hope. _

_Six years later…_

_The curious six-year-old, pink haired, girl looked up at the taller, eight-year-old boy. Her lips curved into a pout. "Come on Hope!" _

_Hope crossed his arms. "No." _

_She frowned. "You know... you're not that much older than me, so that's doesn't make me a little kid!" _

_Hope frowned at her. His eyes met with her glare. After a few seconds, it made him feel uneasy, so he shifted his eyes away. Getting upset, she baled her fists. "Just play with me!" _

"_Fine... Fine..." he moaned. _

_Instantly, her frown changed into a smile. "Good!" She grabbed onto his hand and pulled him along. They spent some time playing outside. When they got ready to go in, she looked over toward him. "See! Was that really so bad?" _

_A small smile curved on his lips as he looked at her. "Fine... You were right Claire." _

_Claire flashed a prideful smirk. "Well get used to saying that more!" Slightly, Hope shook his head with his eyes closed as he kept his grin on. What had he gotten himself into…?_

_Nine years later…_

_A red ball headed toward her, which she caught in the hand. The fifteen-year-old gave a dull stare toward the object. "This is boring..." _

_Lightly, she tossed the ball back toward her companion. After he caught the ball, the seventeen-year-old looked up with a little wonder. "What do you want to do then?" _

_Claire walked over to him. She reached into pocket and grabbed the boomerang that he had hidden within his jacket. Her eyes traced over the object. "You can fight with something like this?" _

_He looked over at the object in her hand. "Yes, if I wanted to." _

_She turned her back from him. "I haven't been able to carry something for myself, but I see the soldiers from PSICOM walk around with guns all the time." An idea crossed her mind to help ease her boredom. Her body turned away from his. "I wonder how far I can throw this." With a strong thrust of her arm, she threw the object as far she could. As he stood next to her, he was impressed by her strength. She managed to get a good distance throwing it. When it came back around, she caught it in her hand. It still had some force behind it when it connected. A smile appeared on her lips along with a sense of accomplishment at what she had done. "That actually wasn't bad." _

_Hope stepped over beside her. Interested, a challenge formed into his mind. "How about you hand it over to me? Let me see if I can get a better distance on it." _

_A smirk formed on Claire's lips. "You can try, but I don't think you'll get further than I will." Hope got ready to throw the boomerang. He placed one foot back behind the other. Claire crossed her arms in front of her. "Good luck." A determined look grew on his face. With how she did before, it was motivation that made him want to do better. With force, he threw the object forward. Claire was a little impressed with the distance he managed to get. It was close to what she got before, so it was hard to tell which one of them had reached further. Hope caught the boomerang in his hand. Like Claire, he wasn't sure who had done better. Another idea formed in Claire's mind. She stepped in beside Hope. "That wasn't bad, but let's see how you do on accuracy." _

_A small smile formed on Hope's face. "You can try too, if you want. I'll let you go first." _

_Claire stepped over and grabbed the boomerang from his hand. "All right." She pointed toward the red ball on the ground they were playing with earlier. "How about you toss that up and I'll see if I can hit it?" _

_A little concern crossed his face. "Are you trying to destroy my ball?" _

_Claire frowned a little as she thought that he was worried over nothing. "It'll be fine. Just throw it." _

_With a sigh, Hope grabbed it off the ground and stood in Claire's eyesight. He just hoped that she wouldn't destroy the toy that he brought with him. "Ready whenever you are." _

_A determined look grew on her face. She bent her arm back with the boomerang ready. When she felt ready, she yelled, "Now!" He threw the ball up as high as he could. Seconds after she threw the boomerang, it ended up going pass the ball and headed for the trees. Claire let out a moan once she realized that she had completely missed her target. The boomerang continued to fly and got stuck with in the leaves. _

_Hope lifted his eyes to the stuck boomerang as he placed his hand on his hip. "Well… I would say that was a complete miss and you got my boomerang stuck in a tree... Nice going Claire..." _

_Claire let out a frown as she baled her fist at her side. She didn't need his teasing. "Save it!" Trying to figure out a way she could get up there, she realized that the only way she could would be to climb the tree. It was too tall for her to reach. _

_Hope kept staring up. "How do you propose we get it back now?" _

_Claire stepped closer to him with her arms crossed. "I could get up there with your help." _

_Hope looked over with a slightly curious look. "How so?" _

_Claire kept her serious look on. "You could give me a boost by letting me on your back." _

_Hope blinked, surprised. "You can't be serious... I think you just want to ride on my back." _

_She suppressed the smile that was hidden behind her serious face. "What would be wrong with that?" _

_He breathed out. Behind that serious front, he believed that she just wanted to ride on his back. He closed his eyes. It was hard to resist a request from her. "Fine…" _

"_Just think. It will help you get stronger if you ever need to fight." _

_He smiled as he found the situation amusing, if he did find himself in it. At the same time, inside of him, it brought some unease. "If you say so." He kneeled down a little and allowed her to climb onto his back. While she did press some weight against him, she wasn't as heavy as he predicted. It felt fine for her to stay on his back. He walked toward the tree. _

_Claire looked down toward his face. "This isn't bad." _

_A smile escaped from his lips purposely. "You're right." _

_A smile appeared on her lips. "I said that a while back, that you would be saying that. I'm right even now." Hope breathed out jokingly. He didn't want to give her more of a reason to prove her right. As he walked, a thought formed in Claire's mind. It was something she wondered about for a while now. "Hey Hope?" _

_Without looking back, he answered her. "Yeah?" By the soft tone of her voice, he could tell it wasn't something that was just casually on her mind. _

_Her eyes lowered. She hadn't asked much about it before, but more over the years, she became overwhelmed with curiosity. She knew that, through his life, he was able to travel freely while she never left Eden. Without expressing it to anyone else, she secretly wanted to do the same. "The places you go… What are they like? What do you get to see? Are there any worth going to?" _

_Hope let out a grin. "Of course! There's this fun place that has this huge amusement park! They have rides, chocobos, and everything! There are places that have fireworks every year and other celebrations!" _

_Claire's eyes lowered, disappointed. By the excited tone in his voice, it seemed like what he witnessed was fun. "I see... That sounds like something worth seeing then..." _

"_I'll take you anywhere you want to go." At his immediate response, her eyes rose up surprised. There was a twinge in her heart that was hard to ignore. His words sounded like a promise. There was a warm, determined smile on his face. His eyes traveled back toward her as much as they could. "We'll go to those places so you can see how fun they are and then I'll take you to Pulse." _

_Her eyes traveled over to him curious. "I thought Pulse was a bad place." _

_Hope's eyes lowered a little. He wished that people wouldn't see it that way. "It's not as bad as everyone thinks. It's a little different from Cocoon, but still livable." _

_Claire went over Hope's words repeatedly in her head. She wanted to believe them, that one day she'll visit places where she could have fun. For now, she pushed the thoughts aside and focused on what they had to do. Her head lifted toward the tree. When they finally made it, he stopped. She reached up high and stretched her arm up as much as she could. Within a few seconds, she realized that it was too far away. "You need to put me up higher." _

_He struggled a little to stand up straight. "How?" _

_She climbed off of his back and stood in front of him. "Try lifting me up the other way." _

_He wasn't too sure about the idea. He felt it would be more of a struggle. "I don't know…" His eyes traveled over to the base of the tree. "Maybe I should just climb it." _

_She pointed up toward the boomerang that was stuck in the leaves. "Then you're going to have to climb up the branches too and I don't think they'll be able to support you." _

_He breathed out and realized that she had a point. The branches that extended from the tree were too thin. It seemed that her plan was the best unless he wanted to go through the trouble of finding something long enough to try and knock it down. His eyes returned to Claire who waited for his decision. He placed his hand on the side of his head. "Fine. We'll try it your way." _

_Claire stepped over toward him. He picked her up by her legs and boosted her up. She struggled to reach up. Her weight shifted back and forth to try and grab it at the right time. At the same time, it made him shift his own weight and caused him to step back. He didn't know how much longer that he could hold her up with her constantly moving. With one last push, she made her body jump up a little and grabbed the edge of the boomerang, clasping tightly onto it. "Got it!" _

_The strength he had slipped from his legs and arms. Before they knew it, they both headed toward the ground and landed on their backs. The fall they suffered only hurt for a few seconds. "Sorry…" the word slipped from his lips. _

"_You really have to get stronger," she told him. For a little longer, they lied against the cool grass. A light breeze blew passed them comfortably. She held up his retrieved object. "I got your boomerang back." _

_He rolled off of his back and came over her on his hands and knees. He grabbed the boomerang from her hand and tucked it back into the pocket in his jacket. "Thanks." Once he turned his attention fully back to her, his body froze unexpectedly for second. His green eyes were locked onto her blue ones. There was something about the way that she looked lying against the grass. The only words that came to mind were cute and innocent. Even with the arrangement between him and the pink haired girl he knew all of his life, she always seemed to be more of a friend that he wanted to spend time with, but now an unknown feeling crossed over him. When he reflected more over it, it became less foreign, as if he started to figure it out. Maybe this was a different kind of affection he felt toward her. A thought wandered through his mind once he focused more on her. She stared at him patiently waiting, but for what exactly? For him to move so that she could sit up or for him to move in? He felt unsure, although something inside of him urged him to at least try to move in. As tempted as he was, he decided that now wasn't the best time. A little upset with himself, he breathed out as he closed his eyes. Underneath him, she finally let go of the breath she held in. A secret wish became unfulfilled. A thought grew stronger in his mind that caused his eyes to grow more determined. "Do you want to get out of here?" _

_Surprise became written on her face. It took a few seconds, but she finally responded. "What do you mean?" _

_He sat down on the ground and allowed her to sit up. "A few times you asked me about the world outside of this place and what it's like. Do you really want to go one day?" _

_Her eyes traveled along the ground. Already she knew the answer in her mind, but did she really want to say it out loud? After debating and reaching what she wanted to say, her eyes met his serious ones. Through them, she could tell that he wanted her to be completely honest. For that, she wouldn't deny him what he wanted to know. "Yes. One day, I want to get out of here. Just once to see how things are below." _

_A faint smile curved his lips a little. "Then one day we will. We'll travel around the world if you want and we'll have fun." Her eyes lifted up to him, touched by his words. His smile made the words seem real. _

_In return, she gave a faint smirk. "I'll hold you to that." _

_His body began to relax. "Whenever you need me, I'll be there for you. No matter what." _

_More, a smile curved at her lips. It was nice to hear that. She nodded. "Same here." Hearing those words had made him happy as well... _

As she gazed into the sky above, she could see the lit-up city of Eden in the distance. Her hands were pressed against the rock-solid ground behind her as she leaned back on her arms. For once, she got the chance to see it from another perspective and how small it really was. It seemed the rumors were true. Curiously, she turned her head toward her companion beside her who stared up as well. "What is this place?"

"These are the Vile Peaks," he replied.

A look of confusion became written on her face. "What made you bring me here?"

He knew that she wanted to see more of the world and there wasn't much around to show. The place was barren with mostly rocks around. "I would have taken you somewhere else, but this is the closest place to Eden. It's quiet and there's not really anything around. You won't have to worry about anyone discovering you're here."

She breathed out through her nose as she turned her head forward and looked toward the ground. She knew that he had a point. _"I guess, despite where we were, Hope kept his promise to take me out of Eden. Still, I'm surprised. What happened that day, when I first heard those words he spoke to me, things didn't last long. Not after what happened next..."_

_Flashback…_

_The two continued to smile at each other as they sat on the patch of grass. As silence was between them, he began to dwell on his feelings that came to the surface. At that moment, things became a little clearer. The girl he grew up with for all these years, he started to see her more in a different light. He realized his feelings had shifted from caring about her like a friend to something more, or had they been there all along…? Her eyes traveled along on the ground. A question formed into her mind. Soon, her eyes lifted up to his. "I know it wasn't our choice, but…" She wasn't sure if she wanted to finish getting the words out. "…it was put upon us. The fate of whether two worlds can live in peace..." She turned her head toward the side away from him. "Still… do you think that this arrangement can work out between us?" _

_While she looked away, she was waited to hear his voice, some conformation that this was really the right thing to do. When she didn't hear anything, she figured that maybe he didn't think it was a good idea after all. Maybe all of the burden and pressure that had been put on them since birth was something they just had to get through. Suddenly, she felt something touch her hand. She lifted her eyes to see his gentle smile; a smile that graced his lips once he realized what she asked. "I think it will," he sounded optimistic. "At least…I hope it will." His answer surprised her a little. It sounded as if he really did want this to work. She was touched by what he said. His eyes searched hers before he had come to a decision. He scooted in closer to her. The tips of his fingers gently touched along her jaw line. His head tilted to the side as her cheek lightly touch his. Inches away, his lips parted as he moved closer to her. Her eyes lowered to a close along with his. This would be the moment that they would... _

"_Hope! Claire!" Hope and Claire turned their heads at the call of the familiar voice. Heading toward them was Hope's mother Nora. There was a concerned, but serious look on her face. "I need the two of you to come with me now!" _

_Hope stood up concerned. The tone of her voice sounded urgent. "What is it mom?" _

_Worry began to grow on her face. "We need to speak to both of you. This is important. It's something…that you both need to hear unfortunately." _

_Claire and Hope glanced at each other as they wondered what was going on. Even they started to get worried. As they followed Nora, they were led into a room where Hope's and Claire's fathers were and Claire's sister Serah waited as well. Both fathers had angry glares on their faces. After they heard the sudden decision, explained to both Hope and Claire, they were shocked. In disbelief, Hope stepped forward. "What?! The arrangement is over?!" He turned his attention to his father. "Why?!" _

_An upset look crossed the face of Bartholomew as he stared at Claire's father. "It seems that the Primarch has decided to dissolve our arrangement to bring Cocoon and Pulse to peace, which is a huge mistake!" he stressed as much as he could. _

"_Technically nothing was signed and there wasn't a wedding date set." Claire's father gave a stern glare. "We will have no need of Pulse's help." _

"_Just listen! The Academy could help-!" Bartholomew tried to plead with him._

_Claire's father would hear nothing with it. He turned part way from her. "The soldiers will escort you out. We have said all that we need to be say." _

_Bartholomew pressed down on his teeth. He felt that he wouldn't listen to reason. Claire stepped in front of her father confused and concerned. "Why are you doing this? Shouldn't we listen to them?" Her father gave her a serious look. _

_Not ready to leave yet, Hope stepped forward, worried that this would be the end. "Claire?" _

_She turned as she looked worried. He tried to reach for her, but a soldier stepped in between them. His father looked serious. "Hope let's go." _

_He glanced back at his father. "We can't just leave!" The soldier pushed him further back. _

_For a second, she hesitated, but then she stepped forward. Soon, she felt a hand grab onto her shoulder. She turned her head back and saw her father with a stern look. "Let them go. You're not to see him again." Her eyes lowered toward the ground. Disappointment filled her. Someone she grew to care for had to leave her..._

Her arms wrapped around her knees that were up to her chest as she thought back to that moment. _"After I learned that the arrangement was over, it seemed that a new one had been put in its place, a better one in my father's opinion. Something that he thought was better for Cocoon… It also wasn't long, after the arrangement dissolved between him and I, that the curse appeared. Something that would change my life more than I thought it would."_ As Claire was lost in thought, Hope looked over at her and smiled a little. "Maybe next time, we could try some place else."

Claire searched his eyes, lost. "I still don't understand it. Why did you come up there to search of me?"

He smiled. "I told you. I wanted to see how you were over the year that we hadn't been able to see each other."

A part of her still didn't understand why, but she was a little concern. "You weren't allowed to come back. You could have gotten in a lot of trouble if you were seen."

Honestly, he was concerned too about taking the risk to see her, but something inside of him really wanted to. It was something that he couldn't let go of. She wasn't someone that he could just forget. He had to know that things were okay. "I was careful. I made sure that I wasn't seen."

A frown crossed over her lips to show that she was serious. "You shouldn't do this again. I don't want you to get caught."

He smiled to assure her not to worry. "I'll be all right." She breathed out a little. All she could do is warn him, but she couldn't stop him if that's what he wanted to do. Another thought crossed his mind, one that would ease her of her worry. "If I remember right…, someone has a birthday coming up in three days."

Hearing that surprised her. "You still remember that?"

Hope gave a slight nod. "Knowing you for all of those years, it's not something that can easily be forgotten."

She relaxed a little. "Yeah... I guess it is coming up soon."

"You don't sound that excited about it. Aren't you going to celebrate in some way?"

Her eyes drifted toward the side. For a few years, her birthdays hadn't been the big celebration that they used to be. She didn't expect much of a difference this year either. "Not really…"

The words she spoke disappointed him. She didn't seem happy about it at all. He turned his head forward. That was a time for her to be happy. Alongside that thought, another formed in his mind. It was something he knew he could do to make her day something to look forward to. "If that's the case, then I'll have a surprise for you on your birthday." Her head turned to him surprised. "But we'll have to do something like this again. We'll have to leave at night, so that way, no one can spot us."

Her eyebrow furrowed. "You want me to sneak out again?"

He let out a smile as he tilted his head toward her. "In order to carry out the surprise, yes. Do you think you can manage that?" Her eyes drifted toward the side. "I promise that it will be worth it."

Once again, the chance was tempting. Interest couldn't help but fill her mind at what he was planning. Now it was the decision of taking the risk or always wondering what could have been. When she came to a decision, she turned her head to him and spoke. "I'll see what I can do."

A smile formed on his lips. "I'll be waiting." As she stared at him, she reflected more on the past. She thought about the reasons that she didn't have parties like she used to have on her birthday. The last time she had a big celebration was when her mother was still alive. She could clearly remember the emotions she felt the day of her death. She comforted her sister as much as she could and promised to be stronger to look after her. As much as she tried to keep them to herself, she knew one person who didn't give up trying to help her cope with her grief. She thought about the day after the funnel…

_Flashback.._

_As she sat on her bed in her room, she held her head down and avoided eye contact with the person behind her. "I told you that I'm fine," her voice sounded cold. _

_He turned his head back and looked upon her with compassion. "Are you really?" Her lips pressed together and kept them sealed shut. He knew this conversation would go around in circles with her denying that she was sad and him trying to get her to open up about how she felt. Instead, she decided not to answer him. His eyes drifted down. He wasn't sure how to help her. All he knew was that he wanted to. "It's all right to be sad you know. She was someone very close to you. You couldn't help what happened. Sometimes the body fails and can no longer sustain us." _

"_Is that supposed to make me feel better?" her voice turned harsh. _

_He looked back at her feeling uneasy. It seemed that he made things worse. He turned his head back forward. "I'm sorry…" he whispered. _

_She closed her eyes tight. She knew that he couldn't see her face right now. "Just go Hope! I don't need you here feeling sorry for me...!" _

_He looked back a little surprised. "Is that what you think I'm here for?" She didn't answer. He reached over and grabbed her arm. "I'm not here to pity you at all." _

_Claire frowned, upset as she looked down. "That's what everyone else has been doing, so how is that any different than what you're doing?!" _

_He grew upset. "That is not what I'm doing! Just listen to me!" She struggled to take her arm out of his grip, but he wouldn't let go. Her pull forward as she pushed back. Their struggle of push and pull made them land on the bed face to face. She closed her eyes tight. She didn't mean to let the tears slip, but they ended up escaping from her eyes. _

_He closed his eyes as his nose lightly pressed against hers. "Listen. I would never do that to you. I wouldn't pity you. I admire that's you've been strong for this long, but you don't have to take this on all by yourself. It's okay to lean on someone for your pain if you want. It's not a burden. I know it hurts now, but you'll get through it, all right?" After a few minutes, she managed to calm herself down. What little sounds had left from her soon turned quiet. He placed his hand against her shoulder for comfort. Both of them kept their eyes closed. "It's all right," he spoke between them. For minutes, they lied in silence. Nothing else needed to be said at that moment. His nose nuzzled against hers, which she did the same. His eyes opened a little to see her lean closer toward his face. In return, he closed his eyes and proceeded forward with his lips closing in on hers. A sense of ease crossed over her as she could feel him close. _

_Suddenly, there was a knock on her door. She breathed out and backed away. As much as she didn't want the moment to get interrupted, she figured it was better to see who was at the door. He breathed out as well as his head dropped against the mattress with his eyes closed. As she walked toward the door, she wiped away the remaining water from her eyes to hide her emotions once more. After she was ready, she opened the door. Once she saw who it was, she was a little surprised. "Dad?" _

_When he looked inside, he spotted Hope sitting on her bed. A frown crossed his lips. Even though they were arranged to be, he still didn't like the idea of leaving her alone with a boy. "I just wanted to make sure that everything is all right." _

_She composed herself and looked serious. "Everything is fine." _

"_I just wanted to make sure." He was about to turn away, but then stopped halfway as another thought came to mind. He gave her a serious look. "Keep your door open." Afterwards, he turned and headed further down the hall. _

_She had an idea of why he told her to leave the door open. She watched as he walked further until he was out of sight. Afterwards, she closed the door and headed back to her bed where she sat in front of him. Her eyes drifted down toward the side. "I'm…sorry about how I reacted." _

_He shook his head. An understanding smile curved at his lips. "It's all right. I'm glad. It's not good to hold what you're feeling in." Her eyes lifted up toward his. She noticed the gentle smile he gave. Deciding to let her guard down one more time, she leaned forward with her eyes closed and pressed her forehead against his shoulder. There she could find comfort. A few seconds later, his arms wrapped around her. She could feel warmth surrounding her that she could bury herself in. She scooted in closer to him. His eyes lowered to a close as he leaned his head against her shoulder. Minutes later he leaned back, which she followed. Half of her body leaned against the chest. "Are you feeling better now?" _

_She lifted her eyes along with her head and pressed her chin against his chest. "A little I guess…" She didn't want to admit it, but letting her feelings out had helped a little. _

_He smiled for comfort. "It'll be okay. It just takes time." For a few more seconds, she stared at him until she placed her head down and leaned against his chest. In silence, she lied in comfort with him by her side..._

Claire continued to watch Hope as he stared up into the sky. _"Even through the tough times, Hope has always been there for me…Even now..." _Deep down, she was grateful that he came back for her.

* * *

_Thank you for reading! I hope that you'll follow along with the rest of the story! There's more to come! _


	2. Our First Date

_**Author's Notes:** Thank you for your reviews and adding this to your favorites and alerts! I hope you'll enjoy the next chapter! _

* * *

_Chapter 2: Our First Date:_

"Claire!" a cheerful voice called out. Soon, Claire felt a familiar and warm embrace. A gentle smile escaped from her lips. It was good to be around her sister again. Serah separated from her and gave her a huge smile. "Happy birthday!"

Claire kept her smile on. "Thanks."

A little curious, her younger sister tilted her head toward the side. "You don't seem too happy about it. Come on! It's a special day! We're going to have fun, right?!"

Claire felt unsure about how the day would turn out herself, but for Serah, she would be optimistic. "Yeah."

Serah wrapped one arm around Claire's arm and used her other hand to grab her suitcase she brought with her. The two began to walk down the hall of their house. Serah tilted her head to get a good look at Claire's face. "So how have things been?"

"Nothing much has happened," Claire replied casually. To her, things had been as dull as ever.

Serah became curious. "Have it been the same?"

Claire shrugged her shoulder slightly. "Pretty much."

Serah breathed out a little. "So… you haven't gotten the chance to go out yet? You've been pretty much here, homeschooled and dad is still teaching you how to fight, right?"

"That's pretty much it."

Serah looked over, a little concerned. It seemed Claire was unfazed by her daily routine, but deep down, she knew his sister wanted more than this. "I don't understand. Why doesn't dad let you out?"

Claire's eyes turned away from Serah. She knew the reason why, but didn't want to place that information on her sister. It was something she needed to carry on her own. "It's just how things are." As Serah stared at her, Claire wouldn't meet her eyes. _"It's because of this curse, the reason that I can't get out of this place. Our father is afraid of people knowing about it, afraid that something bad will happen."_ The two headed toward Serah's room where she settled in. While Claire stayed home to study, Serah attended another school that was privately own and where she stayed in the dorms. The times she did get to come home, she got to spend her free time with Claire.

Later that night, Serah, Claire, and their father sat down for a birthday dinner inside of the grand dining room. During their conversation, Serah spoke cheerful about her experiences at school. It brought a smile to Claire's face to hear how well she was doing. Their father smiled, proud as well. As Serah spoke, Claire and their father exchanged a brief glance. For now, it seemed Serah didn't know what was going on as far as the curse and Claire was to keep it that way. Claire listened and understood. She didn't want Serah to be worried about her nor did she want to drive Serah away. That, she couldn't bear…

Further along the night, Claire finished placing on her boot as she sat on her bed. After dinner and spending some time together as a family, everyone went to bed except for Claire. What would happen that night was there in the back of her mind throughout the day. A few times she couldn't help but wonder what surprise was in store. Soon, a certain silver haired boy would be there to take her away to an unknown location. No matter where they would go, she would be glad just to leave home for a little while. A part of her was concerned about getting caught, but more than that, she was ready to see what would happen next. After she finished getting dressed, she climbed out of her window onto the grass below. She traveled back to the edge where she had met him before. There, she waited for a few minutes, but there was no sign of him. The thought crept up into her mind as she wondered if he had forgotten or if he was running late. What if she was left standing all night while he never came at all? Her eyes lowered. More of her doubt set in. Maybe it was too good to be true that she would get to see somewhere new...

"I'm not too late, am I?" a voice called.

She lifted her head to see bright, green eyes and a gentle smile as he was on a hoverbike. Claire placed her hand on her hip. Secretly, she breathed out a sigh of relief that he didn't forget about her. "Maybe…"

His smiled increased. "You ready to get your surprise started?" Hope moved in closer so that she could easily climb on.

Claire grabbed his waiting hand and sat behind him. Curiously, she looked over at him. "Where are we going?"

Hope looked back at her as he grinned. "I can't tell you that yet. You'll have to wait and see." Claire breathed out a little impatient. She couldn't help it. She wanted to know now. Soon, he took off flying down from Eden.

* * *

A deep breath entered into her throat as her eyes stared up in amazement. This was a sight she had never seen before, at least up close. Now she could see the sights and hear the sounds up close and live, not just through a screen. Claire leaned back on her hands as she sat on the blanket underneath her. Beside her, a smile couldn't help but escape from his lips. Hope could tell that she was taking it all in and she had seemed to be enjoying herself. "Is this all right?"

Claire managed to snap her attention away from the show and looked over toward her companion. "Yeah."

"They shoot fireworks in Bodhum every year. They say that if you make a wish on them, it'll come true," he explained.

She gave a small look of skepticism. "You don't actually believe that, do you?"

Hope tilted his head a little toward his shoulder. "Not really, but maybe I should test it and see if it will."

Her eyes lifted for a second before they returned back to him. "Hmm… What would you actually wish for?"

The smile never left Hope's lips. No words were spoken from him. It seemed that he wouldn't tell her, so it would have to be something that she would have to guess on her own. Deep down, she wondered if it was something to do with her. Her eyes turned away as she felt a little nervous about the idea. Then, a small part of her wondered, even after a year, how he felt about her. He never really said how he felt, but she knew they were close at one point. "So? How was your birthday today?"

Claire snapped out of her thoughts. Then, her eyes lowered toward her feet that were underneath her. "It was all right…"

To him, she didn't seem that excited. "What did you get to do?"

"Serah came home, so I got the chance to spend time with her."

"Where has Serah been?" he asked, interested.

"She was sent to a private school while I stayed to be homeschooled."

He became confused. "How come you both didn't go to the same school?"

Her eyes traveled down uneasy. She didn't want to explain why and it was a reason she kept to herself. "It was…just how things worked out."

Hope leaned his arm against his knee that was up. "It just seems strange... You don't get to leave home anymore and your father won't let you leave."

Claire turned her head away. "Just let it go." By the tone of her voice, he could tell that she didn't want to speak about it. As much as he didn't want to let it go, he still wanted her to have a good birthday. A faint smile crossed his lips, hoping to ease things. "You want to go walk around?"

"Sure." They stood up and walked along the beach toward the ocean. Claire continued to look around. "I've never been to Bodhum before."

"It's more of a vacation spot. It brings a lot of tourism especially on a day like today. What did you think of the fireworks so far?"

She turned her head to him. "It was nice."

They went to a secluded spot surrounded by some rocks. Curious, she stepped out of her shoes. She was able to feel the sand underneath her feet for the first time. It had a rough, cool texture since the sun was no longer upon them, but still comfortable enough to walk on. He joined in and took his shoes off too. "Do you want to go into the water?"

Claire nodded. "Sure." She stepped forward. The water splashed against her feet. At first, it felt cold to the touch, but took a short time to get used to. Hope followed along. As he watched her interact with the water, a smile couldn't help but form. A cool breeze blew over them. She stepped out further into the water. Suddenly, her foot slipped into a steep incline in the sand. She held her arms out to help retain her balance.

Hope rushed to her side to make sure she didn't fall. "Are you okay?"

Instinctively, she grabbed onto his hand and turned to him. "Don't worry. I'm fine." Her hand grabbed onto his other hand for better support. As they stared forward, their eyes became locked. The reflection of the moon shined in her eyes and she could see the same in his. The same thoughts crossed their minds about how they were. A secret wish she kept hidden crept into her mind. As much as she tried to suppress it and thought it was silly, it was still there. A debate began in his mind. An urge that he couldn't help but think about. One that had come up a few times. This could be his chance. This could make her birthday better or this could just make it worse. Was he willing to take that chance? Underneath them, the water kept rushing by their feet, back and forth. "What now?"

More, his mind kept urging him. Uneasy, his eyes lowered. Claire looked down as well. Maybe now still wasn't the time. Claire started to turn away, but then his hands grabbed onto hers tighter. Curiously, she looked at him. Overwhelmed with nervousness, he pushed it aside and leaned toward her. "Would it be all right…if I…?" Her eyes stared into his, a little surprised. Then, she gave a small nod. While her mind told her not to get to close, she ignored it just to have this one chance. After seeking her approval, he took a step in closer. Hope leaned in toward her and enclosed the distance between them. His eyes lowered toward a close along with hers. Within seconds, their lips finally met for the first time. Softly and slowly, his lips moved against hers as she followed along, her hands still grasped within his. The world around them disappeared from their minds, leaving only each other. The first kiss they shared lasted close to a minute before they parted, even though their lips didn't want to depart from the other. Once again, their eyes lifted up to each other. He placed both hands on the sides of her waist as their foreheads pressed against each other. "I…Truth is... I always wanted to do that."

A smile curved at her lips. She placed her hand against his cheek. "About time. It took you long enough."

A grin escaped from his lips. He placed his hand on the back of hers that was against his cheek. "I see. You wanted me to do that too." The smile never left from her lips. His other hand brushed against the front of her arm and then touched her shoulder. When she became in tune with his touch, she stepped away from him. He became confused as to why she backed away. She placed her hand against her arm and grabbed onto it. Her eyes traveled toward the side. He took a step forward. "Did I do something wrong?"

Claire stared at him. She didn't want for him to think that anything was wrong. The thought crossed her mind again that she shouldn't get to close. "No. You didn't do anything wrong. It's just that…" Her eyes traveled over to the side. She had already said too much. "It's nothing."

Hope turned his head toward the side. "Sorry… It's my fault. I shouldn't have moved in like that."

She stepped toward him. She didn't want to get the wrong idea. "No." She lifted her eyes to him. "I'm…actually glad you did. I thought it would have happened earlier. I was starting to think that…you didn't…"

He tilted his head a little to meet her gaze. "That I didn't care about you while things were still arranged." His eyes lowered as he thought about the past. "I did care about you while I was still able to see you."

She looked interested. "Really?"

"Yes. I wanted to try this earlier too, but…" He grabbed onto his arm as he looked nervous. "I just always… got so nervous. I wanted things to be right."

A gentle smile crossed her lips. She stepped in closer to him. "I think that you would have done just fine. Don't be afraid to go for it. It might actually work out for you."

A grin crossed his lips. "I guess I had nothing to worry about then."

For a few seconds, their eyes stared at each other until he moved in again and pressed his lips against her. Inside, she enjoyed this new connection between them. After some time, he separated from her and then grabbed her hand. An excited smile came upon his lips. "Come on!" Hope pulled her further into the water to have fun. He stopped in front of her and splashed water toward her. At first, Claire debated about whether to join in or not, but her body followed along and made the choice for her. She splashed him back with water. A smile came on her face as she was doing so. After minutes of playing around, they soon got tired. Hope stood up straight. "Hey! Do you want to get something to eat?"

Claire let out a smile. "Sure! I haven't had anything from here before."

"I think you'll like what they have here! Come on!" Instead of putting their shoes back on, they decided to carry them so that they wouldn't get sand in them. They headed back to where the majority of the crowd was and made it to one of the food stands. They both read over the menu and picked out different things to try. For some time, they decided to eat where there were tables set up just outside the restaurant. After they were finished, they headed out toward the beach to where they were sitting before. As they walked, Claire carried a stick between her index and middle finger with some meat on it. She took a bite out of the top. The taste surprised her. "This actually isn't bad."

"You mind if I try a bite?" he asked interested.

"Sure."

Hope leaned over and took a bite while she held onto the stick. The nervousness she felt came unexpectedly. He was actually eating off of the same piece that she had just taken a bite out of. Then again, it wasn't as if their lips hadn't touched earlier, whether it was directly or indirectly. Soon, he stood up straight. "You're right. It's not bad."

Uneasy, her eyes drifted over to him. "You didn't have to pay for all of this. I could have-."

A grin escaped from his lips. "It's all right. If you would have brought some of your own money, then it would look suspicious if some of it was missing. Beside it's your birthday. It's only fair that I treat you. Think of it as a part of your gift."

Lightly, she scratched against her cheek. "Well… it's not like I had money to spend anyway. Usually my father keeps it. Since I don't go out much, there wasn't much of a need for it. I would only need it when getting new clothes or something."

"Why does your dad keep you inside all of time? It seems unfair." Claire's eyes lowered. Instantly, the reason popped into her mind, but her lips stayed shut so that the answer wouldn't slip. Hope noticed her reaction. It disappointed him that she couldn't let him in on what was going on and that made him worry about what she was going through. Could she have been in some kind of trouble? The more he dwelled on it, the more it made him worry. As much he didn't want to change the subject and get down to the bottom of it, he had to remind himself that he wanted to make this day special and so far, she had seemed happy with how things were going. He lifted his eyes to her as a smile crossed his lips. "Besides it only fair. If you take someone on what you would call a date, then it should be my treat first, right?"

Her eyes opened a little more, surprised. "This is…a date?"

By the tone of her voice, maybe it meant that she didn't want it to be one. Nervously, Hope smiled. "I mean if you want it to be. It doesn't have to be."

For a few seconds, she continued to stare at him. Then, she turned her head forward as she kept a serious look on her face, while suppressing the nervousness building inside of her. "It's all right if it is." She started chewing on what was left on the stick. A little surprised, Hope turned his head to her. Then, he breathed out a sigh of relief. During the time they walked, she kept her eyes away from his. Slowly, his concern eased into happiness. All of a sudden, she felt something slip into her hand. When her eyes traveled down, she saw that her hand was cupped into that of another's. Soon, Claire looked up and saw the nervous look on his face. "I'm not really sure what to do on this myself."

A comforting smile appeared on her lips. "I think you're doing a good job… so far."

Again, he breathed in as his lips curved into a relieved smile. The smile on her face seemed truly genuine. He wanted to keep it that way. They headed back to their spot where the blanket was before and continued to watch as the fireworks exploded with different shapes, colors, and sounds in the sky. Getting a little tired of sitting up, they both lied down against the blanket, feeling less awkward about doing so as time passed. It was something they did a few times when he still visited her in Eden, but that was something they kept between them. Her head leaned against his chest as she gazed at the sky above along with him. She kept the souvenirs that he had gotten for her close to them. As she watched, a part of her wished that she could be free. Free to fly where she wanted and go where she wanted. "Tired?"

Claire lifted her head and turned toward him. "No."

"This isn't getting too boring, is it?" he joked.

She frowned a little. "You worry too much. I said that I liked how tonight went."

Hope laughed and sat up. "Sorry... I just wanted to make sure that this night was perfect, but I guess not everything could be."

Claire looked a little concerned. "It actually was." Her eyes drifted toward the side. "This might have been…one of the best birthdays I had, if not the best, even since my mother was still…" her voice began to fade off. She closed her eyes and breathed out a little. She had to suppress her emotions. Then, she turned her head to Hope with a sincere look. "This was the best birthday I've had. You gave me a chance to go out, see things I've never seen before, and experience things that I haven't. I didn't really have an idea of what the perfect birthday would be, but if I had, I'm sure that this would have come pretty close."

His lips curved into a half smile. "Then I'm sure that next year is going to be pretty hard to beat considering how this went." Claire was taken aback once she heard his words. Right away, Hope noticed her flinch and the stunned look she gave. Behind her frozen state, was there fear? It caused him to worry. "What? What is it?"

Claire's eyes drifted toward the side. "I'm not sure if there is going to be a next year."

Her words worried him even more. "Why? What's going on? Tell me!" No longer could he hold back how he felt. He knew she was hiding something from him. He placed his hand against his chest. "You always had a hard time opening up, even though I told you that I would always be there to listen. Please don't back down on me now."

She buried her head in her knees, letting her emotions slip passed her guard. "Even if you knew, there's nothing that you can do about it, so stop talking about the future and birthdays."

Now it seemed that it was the reverse. He was stuck in a state where he couldn't speak nor move. What could he say? That sure, there would be another birthday when he didn't know what was going on. His eyes lowered. "Are you in some kind of trouble? How serious have things gotten since I left?" he questioned with a low voice. At that moment, she thought about telling him the truth, but that was stopped because of another possibility. If she told him the truth, would he reject her and turn her away? For a night like tonight, she wasn't ready to accept that. He lifted his eyes, afraid of what to say next. "Are you…? You're not dying, are you?"

"We're all dying Hope. That's just the way life is." Claire leaned in with her forehead pressed against his. "There's nothing for you to worry about. Let's just focus on what's happening now." She moved further down and pressed her nose against his cheek. After a moment, she backed away and gave a faint smile. "I am having fun. Let's keep it that way."

Worry still consumed him. What could she be hiding from him? When he lifted his eyes, he could still see her smile. All he could think was how, even though she smiled, it seemed false in some way. It also seemed to be pleading for him to back away from the issue. With his eyes closed, he sighed. He would let go of it for her sake and stick to his mission of making her birthday great. He placed his head down. Claire started to get concerned that he wouldn't let it go. "You know…" More, she wondered if he would question her. "I usually come here with my mom. This time, I told her that I wasn't going." Claire looked surprised. Hope lifted his head. "I didn't want to tell her that, but I didn't think it would be a good idea for her to come. After all, the arrangement between us is over and she would think it was a bad idea for us to meet like this. We could both get in trouble."

Claire was touched to hear his reason. "But yet… you were willing to risk it all."

Hope turned his head forward as he looked up. "I saw how sad you seemed the other day, so I wanted to do something to cheer you up, plus it was your birthday and I usually get to celebrate it with you." He reached into his pocket and pulled a beige jewelry box. "This was supposed to be for your birthday last year, but we never got to celebrate it because of… what happened."

Claire took the box from his hand and looked up at him. "I see… Recycling my gift already?"

Hope grinned and shook his head. "No. I really wanted to give this to you."

Her eyes lowered toward the box and used her fingers to open the top. Inside, she saw a necklace. At the end, there was small pearl with a thin chain holding it. She held the chain between her fingers. "A necklace?" In response, he nodded. Claire put it around her neck. She grabbed the small pearl in her hand and stared at it.

Hope's eyes lowered toward her fingers. "It's small enough, so that if you wear it, it probably won't be noticeable."

Claire took a few more minutes to admire the small gift before she looked back Hope. "Thank you." She leaned in and wrapped her arms around him.

In return, he wrapped his arms as much as he could around her since she had restricted some of his arm movement. After they parted, he smiled at her. "So? Have you made a wish on the fireworks?"

She gave him a bit of a confused look. "I thought that you yourself thought it was silly."

His eyes closed as he grinned a little. "It doesn't hurt to. I'll try it if you will." They turned their heads forward. Both of their eyes lowered to a close. Secretly, they made a wish inside of their minds. After a minute had passed, they both opened their eyes.

She returned her eyes over to him. "So? What did you wish for?"

Hope let out a playful smile. "If I tell you, it won't come true."

Claire smiled a little. "I guess you have a point."

They turned their attention back toward the fireworks. After minutes passed, he breathed out. "I guess I better take you back before it's too late."

As she closed her eyes, Claire breathed out a little. A part of her wasn't ready to go back, but she knew it was for the best. Hope took noticed of the disappointment she showed. Both of them stood up from the blanket. After they gathered up everything, they headed back to his hoverbike. She was about to climb on, but then she heard his voice first. "You can sit up front of you want."

Claire was surprised. Was he willing to risk their lives by letting her drive when she had no experience? "You would actually let me drive?"

Hope smiled. "If you want, but I was thinking about something else before we leave."

She became curious. "What do you mean?"

"You'll see." He left it at that. Claire sat up front while he sat in behind her. He instructed her on the controls and soon took off with his hands on top of hers to help her with the controls. In the sky, they went near a giant sphere up close to where the fireworks were. He slowed to a stop and floated in the air. Her eyes gazed upon the show from above. Hope looked along with her. "It's really nice when you get up close."

She continued to watch. "Yeah."

"I know that I've said this before, but I'm really am here if you need me Claire."

Claire turned toward him calm. "I know," she whispered. A few times, her eyes glanced up at his. Slowly, she leaned in toward him, which he followed in as well. Soon, her lips met with his in a soft, sensual kiss. Her hand reached up and slid against his chest as he placed his hand at her waist. After they parted, she breathed out. For a moment, despite what she was going through, she felt a sense of relief and happiness.

His eyes lifted up to her. "Are you ready to head back?"

She placed her hands on the controls to drive and turned her back to him. "Yes." He moved in closer and placed his hands on top of hers to help. Soon, they took off into the sky. She glanced back one more time at the sight below, adding one last memory to the nice night she had.

Sometime later, they had reached Eden. They moved closer toward the edge so that she would be able to get off safely. A smile crossed his face. "I guess this is good night." Accidentally, his foot pressed down on the gas petal that caused a loud sound from the engine to roar. Both Hope and Claire flinched and became on guard, worried that the noise would cause people around to stir. Nervously, he smiled. "Sorry…"

Claire waved her hand as there was a frown on her face. "Come down here."

He listened and parked it near the small house that they were standing behind. Claire checked around the corner to make sure that no one was coming their way, but so far, the coast seemed clear. She turned toward Hope. A smile curved at his lips. "Before you go, I was wondering if you wanted to do this again. I know a place that's more fun than where we went tonight."

She took a moment to think whether she wanted to go out with him again and take the risk. Tonight was fun and something that she would try again. After taking some time, she turned her head toward him. "Fine."

Hope smiled, happy with her answer. "When do you want to go?"

Claire placed her finger underneath her chin, thinking. "Well…I have an idea. Maybe I can get out early enough, so we don't have to worry about coming back so soon."

"So tomorrow then?" he asked to be sure.

She nodded. A faint smile crossed her lips. "Tomorrow."

He headed toward his bike. An idea crossed his mind that he wanted to act on before he left. "Claire?" She turned toward him. He walked over to her and placed a kiss against her lips as his hand rested on her shoulder. Afterwards, he parted from her. "Good night."

Before his hand could return to his side, she grabbed onto it. A tender smile appeared. "Good night Hope." In response, he smiled more. At that moment, he didn't want to go, but knew he would see her again tomorrow. Hope climbed on his hoverbike and took off, displaying one last smile toward her. She stayed until he disappeared out of sight. One more brief smile appeared before she headed back toward home. She managed to climb back in through the window, in her room, without being seen. She changed out of her clothes into something to sleep in. She wrapped the blanket around her comfortably and buried her face to it with her eyes closed. It was hard to fall asleep with everything that happened tonight. It was a night of many first. It was the first time she got to the beachside city of Bodhum and the first time that she got to see the annual fireworks, but most of all, the date that she had with Hope. Not only did they share their first date, but a first kiss. As she went over what happened before and after their kiss, her eyes opened and her fingers reached for the necklace around her neck. She touched the pearl at the end. She liked the kiss they shared. Not just the first one, but the ones after. She could remember the smooth touch of his lips, how they were soft and nervous at first, and then how were filled with want and anxiousness.

A feeling rose in her chest. When she reflected on what it could be, it felt like butterflies in her stomach. Inside, she always wonder what it would be like to kiss him. The memory made her curl deeper into her blanket. It took some time, but finally she managed to go asleep.

* * *

_Thank you for reading! I'll be back to update the next chapter soon! _


	3. I Am A L'Cie

_**Author's Notes:** Thank you for the review and keeping up with the story! I really appreciate it! Hope you'll like the next chapter! _

* * *

_Chapter 3: I Am A L'Cie:_

The next day, a yawn escaped from the lips of the young girl. Hearing the yell from nearby, her eyes raised alert and blocked the attack from the sword headed toward her with her own sword. In front of her, her father frowned as he stepped back. "Claire. You're not focused."

She placed her head down along with her sword at her side. "Sorry…"

He gave a confused, but concerned look. "What's wrong Claire? You seem very distracted."

Her eyes traveled along the ground. "It's nothing. I just…didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

Her father looked serious. "You need to learn how to control your power. This is no time to slack off."

Claire lifted her head. She had to make sure her father didn't find out about tonight and the night before. "It's not. It's just that-." Suddenly, she raised her fist as she started coughing.

Her father grew concerned. "What's wrong? Are you getting sick?" Claire looked surprised. She felt an itch in her throat, but she wasn't getting sick. Before she could assure her father she was fine, she coughed into her fist again. "Maybe you should take a break for now."

Throughout the day, Claire tried to think of a way to get out of tonight, but now, it seemed an opportunity had presented itself. The question was could she take that chance? A little nervous, she looked at her father. "Could we…cut things a little early tonight…?"

There was uncertainty on his face. "Was there something you ate that didn't sit well with you?" Claire grabbed onto her arm as she stared down. She didn't want to lie to her father, but what else could she say? He breathed out. "We'll… take a break for tonight. Just until you feel better."

Claire gave a slight nod. Inside, she was glad things worked out. "Thank you."

Once Claire retired to her room, she climbed in underneath the covers. At the side of her bed, her father sat on the edge. "Are you sure that you're all right? You don't need any medicine or water?"

She gave a sincere look. "I'm fine. I just need some sleep. I'll feel better in the morning."

Her father was still concerned, but decided to respect her wishes and let her rest. For a few minutes, he stepped out of the room until he walked back in with a glass of water. He placed it on his dresser and then, turned toward her. "Feel better in the morning."

"Thanks." She lied down and pulled the covers close to her.

He stood up. "Good night Claire."

"Good night." Soon the light disappeared once the door to her room closed. The only light to come into her room was from her window. She lied in the dark and waited patiently until she thought the time was right. Once she thought the coast was clear, she sat up out of bed and went toward her dresser. A part of her thought it didn't matter what she wore, but only to make sure that she wouldn't be cold. Still, the other part of her mind wanted her to look nice. A few minutes later, she changed out of her clothes into a shirt, skirt, and a short sleeved jacket over top. She took some pillows and stuffed them underneath the covers. She grabbed a wig from nearby with a plastic head and placed it underneath the covers. She took a step back to see if it looked like someone was asleep in her bed. With the dimly lit room, it was hard to tell, which meant a good thing. After she got everything straight, she climbed out of her window and sneaked off of the grounds to the edge where she met Hope before.

When she got there, she saw a small ship, enough to fit two people, floating and already waiting for her. She was surprised. Usually, he was there with his hoverbike. He pressed a button to make the hatch slide and popped open. A grin crossed his lips. "Get in."

Claire climbed down and jumped into the ship. Afterwards, he closed the hatch. She looked over at him. "You're just a regular master of technology and driving, aren't you?"

A small chuckled escaped from his lips as he shook his head slightly. "No. It was just something I had to learn." He turned his head to her. "I borrowed this ship from the Academy."

She crossed her arms against her stomach. "Borrow or took?"

Nervously, he smiled. "Does it matter?" He pressed some of the buttons and took off.

As they flew, she became more curious. "So? Where are you taking me this time?"

Hope let out an excited grin as he stared forward. "It's a place you'll have fun. I think it'll be better if you see it first, so you can decide where you want to go, _but_… I could tell you a few things now if you want..."

Claire leaned back against her seat. Although she really wanted to know, she kept it to herself. "I guess I can wait." Afterwards, they turned silent. A few times, she glanced over. She wanted to speak, but held back.

Hope couldn't help but notice. "What is it?"

"I was just wondering if…" She breathed out with her eyes closed. Maybe it was better to let it go.

"What is it?" Hope was interested in what she wanted to know.

A little nervous, she looked over at him. "I was thinking about the other day, when you let me learn how to drive your hoverbike." A few times, her eyes glanced between the seat and him. "I…kind of… want to learn how to drive this thing too." Soon, her eyes drifted off toward the window beside her and stared out at the dark clouds.

Suddenly, she felt something. She noticed his hand on top of hers. When she lifted her eyes, she saw him stare forward with a smile. "I'm not exactly a driving instructor, but I could teach you a little about how to use this thing."

Her eyebrow gave a slight arch. Even she thought it was a little risky. "You would actually let me drive?"

"Well… not by yourself. Things could get dangerous. Here." Hope pulled her along as there was a look of surprise on her face. While he pulled her toward him, she thought about where she would end up sitting. Hope pushed his seat back as much as he could. Nervously, Claire moved over without bumping into any of the controllers. Then, she looked around at her surroundings. It was another first. She sat on top of his lap. He leaned in close against her back, which made her body even more nervous. Hope placed his hands on top of hers that were attached to the controls. "Ready?"

She looked over her shoulder enough to see his face. "Yeah! Right." She turned her head forward. More, she eased into learning and felt comfortable enough to move on her own. A few times, she pressed her foot against his, so that he was able to follow her movements.

After a while, he moved his feet in order to let her drive on her own. Minutes later, he leaned back toward her. "We're here. It's time to land." Claire was a little disappointed that her time driving was up, but she decided to let him take over. Before she could remove her hands from the controls, her hands became glued to them by his hands pressed against hers. A smile curved at his lips. "You did well." He pressed some of the buttons on the dashboard before he put his hands back on hers. "You can help me land if you want." She looked at him before she turned her head forward. A small, secret smile formed on her lips that he was still letting her try. With his help, they landed.

* * *

Claire's head lifted up in amazement. Bright lights surrounded her. The place was crowded with people laughing and walking around. Claire continued to take in the scene until Hope stopped in beside her. She turned her attention to him. "What is this place?"

"This place is called Nautilus. It's a huge amusement park," he answered.

There was a curious look in her eyes. "So? Where do you want to head to first?"

"We're just in time for the show going over the history of Cocoon. Do you want to go see that?"

Claire nodded. "Sure." They took off and made it to the other side of the park. They walked through the crowd and stopped in a spot where there was a little space in between them. Soon, the show began. The visuals were incredible. A disc flew down from the sky. Instinctively, she caught it in her hands. Her eyes stared down with wonder. A projection of a creature popped and twirled around. It gave a little wink before it flew up toward the rest of the show. She continued to stare forward in amazement. Suddenly, she felt something grab her hand. Quickly, she turned her head, still in her sense of wonder. A smile crossed his lips. She looked at Hope for a few more seconds before she turned her attention back to the show. Her fingers wrapped more around his fingers. She could feel warmth surging through her body. It was enough to a faint smile appear. It was nice to have someone there beside her.

After the show was over, they traveled around the park and explored as much as they could. Along the way, Claire carried something sweet on a stick, taking small bites here and there. Hope traveled alongside her with his hands in his pockets. An amusing thought came to mind. He nudged her with his elbow, which she looked surprised. "What was that for?" All he gave was a grin. He nudged her again and ran off in front of her. He stopped a few feet away and gave a devious smirk to provoke her. She frowned with her hand on her hip. "Really? That was very childish."

"We used to do this all the time. I guess you don't have to run. You wouldn't be able to catch me now anyway," he teased.

Claire arched her eyebrow. It sounded like a challenge, which she wouldn't back down from. Hope took off walking with his hands in his pockets. She tossed the stick she had aside into the trash and rushed after him. Hope noticed in time and started running. A laugh escaped from his lips while a smile couldn't help but appear on hers. Even a laugh came to the surface. It really did remind her of all the times when they used to have fun. Hope jumped into one of the transport pods and sat in the seat. He wondered if she would be able to make it or not. Claire ran up to where he was. Her feet reacted too late and didn't jump in time. Her body tripped and fell inside of the pod. Hope's eyes widened. She landed against him. Nervous and surprised, she sat up as much as she could. Her hands pressed against the seat as she kneeled where his legs were. The hatch over them closed and the pod began to move.

The two stared at each other. Inside, she felt a sudden impulse. Usually, she didn't initiate the kiss, but this time, she wanted to try. Claire leaned in toward his face and pressed her lips against his as her hands continued to lean against the leather seat. At first, it surprised him, but then, he eased into it. His hand wrapped around to the middle of her back and moved her in closer. Her arms wrapped around his neck and brushed the tips of his soft hair. Their kiss deepened further. Heat came to her face as red spread across her cheeks. She could feel him try something new and different. At her lips, she felt his tongue ask for entrance, which she allowed. Soon, she could feel hers dancing along with his. When they felt the pod ease to a stop, they separated. The hatch lifted open and they both stepped out as they straightened out their clothes. When she peeked over, she saw him with an innocent look on his face and red cheeks. When he looked over at her, he noticed the same thing. He didn't know what came over her, but he had to admit that he enjoyed it. He continued to straighten out his shirt. "So…? We're in the chocobo park now. Do you want to look around?"

She nodded. "Sure."

Ahead, there were a group of chocobos and sheep. They stepped near one of the chocobos. Hope placed his hand against its beak and began rubbing his feathers. The chocobo squawked in happiness. A grin came on his face. He turned his head to her. "Do you want to try? They're really friendly."

Claire crossed her arms against her chest uneasy. "Maybe not."

Hope stepped toward her along with the chocobo. "Awe come on!" The chocobo rubbed his beak against her and made her arms uncross. Claire placed her hands against his beak. More, she began to interact with the yellow bird. He continued to rub against her as he squawked. Then, she came to a realization. He was rubbing near her curse mark. Claire backed away. She didn't want the bird to get too close to it. She wrapped her arms around herself.

Hope was surprised by her reaction. "What? What is it?"

Her eyes traveled to the side. "It's nothing. Let's just go. Now."

He didn't understand it. "What's wrong?"

"Let's go now!" she pushed more.

Hope stepped toward her, concerned. "But Claire-?"

The chocobo followed behind him. She closed her eyes. "Stay away from me!" Suddenly, there was a glow. A light pink barrier expanded from her that appeared for a few seconds. The few people that were around, stared at her in shock and wonder. Her eyes glanced around at the people around her, before she took off running.

Hope's eyes widened. "Claire! Wait!" He ran after her. As she ran, all she could think was that she needed to get out of there, away from people that could see her. She rushed out of the park and finally made it back to the ship she came in. Anxiously, she searched for a way to get in, but it was locked. "Claire!" Quickly, she turned back. Hope approached her as he breathed hard. "Claire? What is going on? What happened back there?"

She crossed her arms in front of her. "Just take me back home!"

"Just tell me what's going on!" Claire leaned back against the ship, distressed. She placed her hand against her chest. Hope grew anxious. "Claire?!"

Claire's eyes lowered toward the ground. "Once I tell you, you'll want to stay away from me."

Hearing those words had made him worried. "Claire… Nothing you say will make me want to stay away from you-."

"You will after I tell you!" Claire grew angry. She thought if he said that, he wouldn't mean it. It was too late to turn back now. "You wanna know what's going on?! Fine!" She lifted her eyes to him with a serious glare. "I'm cursed."

His eyes widened. "What do you mean cursed?"

Uneasy, she stared at him as her fists baled at her sides. "I have… the mark of a L'Cie…"

Instantly, Hope's body froze over the news he heard. _"A…a L'Cie?"_ There was nothing else he could say. Where could he go from there?

* * *

Claire's father quietly opened the door and let a little light into the room. He was curious to see if Claire was asleep and feeling any better. From the doorway, he spotted what seemed like her hair and the bugle from the covers, as if there was a body under it. He thought about checking in on her, but another thought stopped him. He didn't want to wake her. It was then he decided to step out and continued to let her sleep.

* * *

Claire lowered her eyes. She didn't know what he thought and a part of her wasn't ready to know. She wasn't ready to hear those words of rejection. Hope continued to stare forward until he felt something suddenly hit his shoulder. His eyes looked over. He noticed a few drops of water that fell. It started to rain. "Just take me home." Hope noticed her stare down. She couldn't meet his gaze. He opened the hatch and both of them climbed in. Soon, the ship took off. During the ride, she avoided eye contact with him. It didn't seem like he looked over at her either from what she could tell. The suspense was driving her crazy, but she remained as calm as she could on the outside. She leaned against the side of the ship as she stared out. Water rolled against the window. All she could see was the darkness of night and a few clouds she could make out in the distance. When it got to be too much, she spoke, "Now you won't have to worry about getting yourself into trouble. You don't ever have to come back again." She knew what she said was harsh, but she felt it needed to be said. It was better to prevent getting hurt as much as she would. Suddenly, she felt them make a sharp turn, which made her eyes widened in surprised. Claire looked over. "What are you doing?!" On his face, there was a visible frown. His hands were clutched onto the controls tightly. She started to get concerned. "Hope!"

Hope wouldn't respond. Instead, he kept his eyes forward, tense. "Don't tell me what I should do!" She was taken aback by his words. The ship landed and had come to a complete stop over a smooth cliff in the Vile Peaks. He cut off the engine. The sound faded away, only leaving the sound of the rain for them to listen to.

At first, she was surprised, but then, she got upset. "What are you doing?! Why did you stop?! Take me back home and-!"

"And what?! You tell me to leave and never come back because that's how you think I'll react?!" Her next words became caught in her throat. His frustration became more visible. "Give me some credit Claire! I'm not going to abandon you! I just want to hear the story for myself. Please… Start from the beginning."

Claire stared forward. There was nothing left to hide. "It all started after our arrangement was over. That night, I felt something strange." She recalled lying in her bed, covered by the darkness. Through her sleep, she felt something she hadn't felt before. It was as if something powerful had struck her, but she didn't feel pain. It felt heavy and made her feel like her body was changing. After the strange feeling was over, she soon faded more into the darkness of her sleep. "The next morning when I woke up, that's when I first noticed the L'Cie mark." She remembered when she headed into her bathroom. When she looked into her mirror before her shower, she noticed the black markings. "Soon after, this prophecy came up. It said that someone with the mark was supposed to destroy the world. L'Cie are supposed to have a focus. I guess that focus is mine."

Hope was worried with what he just heard. He couldn't believe it. "No... That can't be it."

She looked toward the ground. "That's why my dad has been keeping me inside, away from everyone. He's been training me all this time, so that I could control my powers and that no one would see them just like tonight."

His eyes lowered in disappointment. "I see... It's my fault that your mark reacted. I'm sorry..."

Claire shook her head with her eyes closed. "No. It was my fault." She looked toward the window beside her. "I wanted to get out so badly that I listened to you despite the risks." He lifted his head up to her, still feeling guilty. Her eyes drifted down with concern on her face. "If I don't fulfill my focus, I'll turn into a monster. Something they call a Cie'th." It made him more worried to hear that. "But you want to know something?" She looked over at him. "I don't regret getting out. The time I spent with you…was the best times of my life."

Hearing her words surprised him. Despite his worry, he pushed it aside and decided to have confidence and hope. "Then we won't let that happen. We'll find out what you have to do and I don't think it'll be destroying the world."

She looked at him concerned. "You don't know that."

He tilted his head a little to meet her gaze. "While I don't believe that's really your focus, I do know this. Someone like you wouldn't be destined to hurt the world. You're a good person." He reached over and grabbed her hand. "I'll do what I can on my end. Working with the Academy, I have the resources to search more into this. I'll find a way to make sure that it doesn't come to you destroying anything. I'll make sure that you won't turn into a monster." He squeezed her hand tighter. "I'll make sure of it."

As she stared into his eyes, she could see the determination in them. It made her want to believe that he could help. She did want to find a way out of this. Her eyes lowered to a close. "Thank you. I don't know if you can-."

He pulled her over more toward him. "I know we can. I won't give up. Not until you're free of this." Her eyes opened, touched by what he said. Seconds later, she moved in closer to him. Once she was close, he pulled her over more until she sat on top of his legs. She turned to face him. She was a little nervous sitting that way with him, but more than that, she wanted to be close to him and him to her. He gazed up into her blue eyes. "We'll find a way to get you out of this." She leaned her head forward and pressed her forehead against his. Their eyes lowered to a close. In the silence, they took a moment to relax and take in everything they said to each other. With his words, she no longer felt alone this. Alone wasn't what he wanted her to feel. He wanted to be there to help in any way he could. After a little time, they opened their eyes to each other. Hope looked at her with curiosity. "Would it be all right if I see your mark? I've never seen one before."

Claire grew nervous, which he could easily tell. As her eyes drifted away, she placed her hand against her chest. "Well it's sort of…"

Following the direction of her hand, it took him a second to realize that her hand was pressed against where it was. Nervously, his gaze turned downwards. "Oh…! I didn't know that… It's all right."

Now she could see that he was just as nervous as she was. A thought crossed her mind, but could she really speak the words out loud? "Well… I mean it's not completely…" She breathed out. "Do you really want to see it?"

He looked up at her a little surprised. "Only if you would be comfortable enough. There's no need to show me if you don't want to." She took a second to think about it. Finally pushing aside her nervousness, she started to unbutton her shirt. Surprised, Hope grabbed onto her hands. "It's all right. You don't have to."

Claire pushed his hands aside. "Just don't look anywhere else. Got it?"

Hope nodded as he swallowed deeply. He wouldn't argue any further. She unbuttoned as far as she needed to and opened her shirt a little. He blinked surprised and interested. He could see the black mark on her chest. Without thinking, he reached out toward her. Before he could make contact, his mind stopped himself. He noticed the flinch that her body made when he was close. "Sorry about that. I was just wondering if it feels any different."

"Not really." She grabbed onto his fingers and guided them toward her.

The tip of his index finger made contact with the lines. He stared in amazement. "Wow! It really doesn't feel any different." His finger traced it a little before he moved away. Then, he placed his hands on her shoulders to comfort her. "It will be all right. Even if the world were to know and turn against you, I'll always be by your side." Her eyes lifted up to meet his. The look in them were sincere. "You believe me, right?" She moved her legs over the top of one of his legs to get more comfortable. Against the side of his head, he could feel her nod. Less, she began to doubt him. He closed his eyes. "Good." His arms wrapped around her. She buried her face within the crook of his neck. He looked toward his shoulder. "You know you can tell me anything, right and I'll be there to listen?" Against his neck, he felt her nod a few more times. A smile curved at his lips. "That's good to know." Tightly, he embraced her. "We'll get through this together."

As they sat there, he could feel as her body relaxed against his. After some time had passed, she lifted up from him. Her eyes met with his. Wanting to feel closer to her, he leaned forward. His fingers brushed against the pink strands of her hair over her shoulder. Carefully, she watched him. They leaned in half way and let their lips connect. Her hand slid against his neck underneath the strands of his silver hair. The kiss between them deepened. Everything else seemed to fade into the background. His hand slid against the skin of her leg. She rubbed from his neck down to his chest. After they spent some time together, she sat up. He gave a look of concern. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," she replied to assure him.

His eyes searched hers. "We should probably head back now, shouldn't we?"

Slightly, Claire shook her head. "No. I can stay a little longer." Her eyes glanced down before they lifted back to him. "I rather be here."

A small smile appeared on his lips. He pressed a button on the side of his chair and tilted it down. "Does that mean you like being out of the house or that you like being here with me?"

She leaned forward over him and pressed her hands against the chair. "Both."

Interested, his smile increased. "But which one better?"

She frowned. Soon, no more questions were asked. He felt her lips meet his. His arms wrapped around her as she felt her body pressed against his. Hope turned his body and made them both rotate to where she was lying against the seat and he was over her. Her hands rubbed against his chest and moved further upwards until they were wrapped around the back of his neck. Her fingers intertwined. "You know what I would've picked."

A faint smile appeared on his face. "Being here with me?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"That's good to hear." Once things turned silent, they could hear the sound of the rain continue. It was peaceful and relaxing. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. More, they began to relax, only focused on them.

Later that night, Claire climbed back into her window. The room was still dark and quiet. She changed back into her pajamas to sleep and remove all the things she used under the blanket to make it seem like she was there all night. She moved in under the blanket and wrapped it around herself. Her eyes lowered to a close. Before she fell asleep, her mind went over what happened tonight. She was still amazed that Hope was able to accept her. Inside, she was glad. For once, she hadn't felt alone since she learned about the curse. Maybe he would be able to help her...

* * *

_Thank you for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	4. Our Fight Begins

_**Author's Notes:** Thank you for keeping up with the story and adding this to your favorites and alerts! Sorry about the late update. I should be posting more a little more often now. Anyway, I hope you'll like the next chapter! _

* * *

_Chapter 4: Our Fight Begins: _

As the next night was casted over Eden, Claire headed toward her room, ready to go out on another adventure with Hope again. The past few nights with him had been the best she had yet. Inside, she couldn't wait to see what he had planned next. That was… until she heard her father's voice, "Claire! Wait."

Claire turned back surprised. "Dad."

He pressed his hand against her shoulder. "You seem better than last night. I hope that we can spend some time working on your technique. We missed a lot of time today because I wanted you to rest." Before she could say anything, he had already taken off in the other direction. Reluctantly, Claire followed behind him. It didn't seem like she could get out of it. One night had soon turned into a few. Each time, she was unable to leave. She was disappointed, but she still kept up with her training so that she wouldn't raise suspicion.

One night, as she lied on her side awake, her mind was still active. She wondered how Hope felt since she had to stand him up a few nights in a row and what he could be doing now. Suddenly, she heard a noise from the other side of the room. A dark figure dropped in. Quickly, Claire sat up and turned toward the window. She went on the defensive and was ready to fight the intruder, but then stopped once the mysterious person stood up. Her face changed to surprised. "What-? Hope?! What are you doing here?!"

He placed his finger to his lips. "Shh!"

She realized that he had a point and lowered her voice. "It's dangerous for you to be here!"

Hope looked a little concerned and grabbed onto her hands. "I had to see if you were all right."

She glanced down at their hands together before she looked up at him. "I'm fine. You didn't have to. Sorry that I haven't been able to meet you. I've been pretty busy here and tired afterwards."

Hope breathed out in relief. For the last few days, he had been worried about her. Then, a faint smile appeared on him. "Are you able to go out now or are you tired?"

She grabbed onto her arm. "I'm not really tired, so I guess I could go out for a little."

Happiness spread across his face. "All right!"

As she let out a deep frown, Claire crossed her arms against her stomach. "Next time, don't be this reckless."

He nodded. "I won't."

"We should probably make this quick. I'll need to be back soon just in case my dad decides to check on me." Hope nodded to show that he understood. Curiously, she looked up at him. "So where are you taking me this time?"

* * *

Around them, there was a green, luscious filled forest with thriving plant life and small ponds throughout. The craters of water were lit up with light from the plants. Claire looked around at the huge area. It really was a beautiful place to be in. She turned to him curious. "Are you sure that it's safe to be out here?"

Hope stepped in beside her as he smiled to assure her. "We should be careful, but I think we'll be all right." He pulled out his boomerang just in case.

Claire pressed her hand against her chest. "If need be, I can fight too." In response, he smiled. Soon, they came near a pond of water. During the silence, she thought about everything she was going through. It seemed all her worry and stress was building up to the surface. At that moment, she just wanted to step into the water and feel it wash over her to help ease her mind.

Hope noticed that she was about to step in. He grabbed onto her arm protectively. "I wouldn't. There are some dangerous things floating in there. There's a lot safer ones here." As they walked, he noticed that she was lost in thought. "Is everything okay?"

Claire lifted her eyes toward the sky. From there, she could see the stars shine brightly in the sky. "Yeah…"

As they walked, he stared at her. "I thought a lot about what you told me. It brought up a lot of questions." At that moment, her eyes lowered. Soon, Claire stopped near another pond with a waterfall. Hope kneeled down and checked the water. "I believe this one is safer." Claire breathed out and stepped into the water. At first, it felt cold to the touch, but slowly, her body became used to it. She lifted her head as she closed her eyes. More, she began to feel the heavy weight of the world on her shoulders. It was too much…

By the way she acted, Hope started to get more concerned about her. "Claire…? Are you sure you're all right?" He stepped in closer. "Please Claire... Remember what I said. You can talk to me about whatever is bothering you. I thought we were passed this when we spoke the other night."

Her eyes lowered to a close. She knew he was right. She didn't want to go back on her word, plus she did feel that she could open up to him. Even more, she felt like she owed him an explanation. "You're right... I should have said this a long time ago, but… I think it would have been better if we didn't get this close, not if it would have come to this…"

A surprised look came on his face. "Why would you say that? Are you saying that the days we spent together meant nothing?"

Claire gazed toward the clear water. "I'm not saying that. It's just…" She decided to answer his question from before. "There's something else you need to know. Something I should have told you before. I shouldn't have led you to believe that this would work." His eyes widened as he drew a sharp breath in. She turned more toward him. "It wasn't long after the arrangement was over that…" It was hard to say the words out loud to him, but it needed to be said. "It seems a better deal was made. Not to make peace with Pulse, but to make Eden stronger. Pulse was viewed as a dangerous enemy territory and still is. After I got this mark, this man showed up and told my dad that he knew how to help me and how to control it, but… it came at a price." His words worried him deeply. Claire continued, "In order to make the world stronger and to help stop this mark from getting worse, a new arrangement was made." She turned to him with concern in her eyes. She knew the next thing she had to tell him would hurt him. "I was arranged to be married to someone else as a part of the deal."

A jolt surged through his body before it became frozen in place. His eyes widened. Easily, she could see his expression changed to shock. It took some time, but he finally got his lips to move. "What?! To who?!"

Calmly, Claire spoke to him as if anything she said or had to say didn't faze her. "I haven't met him myself, but when I turn twenty-one, that's when it has to happen." His lips couldn't come to a close. Not after she broke the news to him. It seemed no matter what, something always tried to come between them. He couldn't believe that this was happening. Her eyes drifted to the side. "I'm sorry that I've led you on this long. It wasn't right. It's just…when you offered me the chance to leave, I thought it would be my only chance. Then, things started to be how they used to when you were around and I… I did like…" Her eyes lowered to a close. "I'm sorry."

Finally out of his stunned state, Hope stepped in the water toward her with a frown on his face. "You're going to marry a guy that you don't even know?!"

Claire could hear the anger in his voice. It was easy to tell that he was upset by his expression as well. She frowned back. It sounded as if he blamed her for what happened. "It wasn't my choice! You think I wanted this to happen?! It was the same way with us! We didn't know each other!"

Hope remained as calm as he could on the outside. "But we had time to get to know each other. You don't have to do this." Claire's eyes traveled to the side. More than anything, she wanted to get out of this, but it was the only hope she had to get rid of the curse right now. Anxiously, he grabbed onto her hand. "Don't do this…"

Claire could see that he really didn't want her to. "Why?! Just let this go!"

Hope closed the distance between the two of them. "I can't. Not after everything that's happen."

Claire searched his eyes. "What actually happened? We had fun for a while, but now, it's time to let this go."

Breath escaped his lips. Serious and sincerely he stared into her eyes. "What if I can't?"

Her eyes widened. She didn't understand why he wouldn't agree. "Hope…"

Slightly, Hope shook his head before his eyes stared into hers. "What if I can't let go of this? It's not fair that you had to go through this."

"Would you be saying the same thing if it was still us?" She was interested in his answer. They were in the same situation. Wouldn't his answer be hypocritical?

His eyes traveled down as he thought about what she said. Was it really any different than what they had? Afterwards, Hope breathed out. "Listen… I know it wasn't our choice back then, but now, things are different."

Curiously, she arched his eyebrow. "Different how?" she spoke softly.

He lifted his eyes to her. "I…I don't know if I can bear the thought of you…"

More, she became interested in what he had to say. "What? Just tell me."

Hope pushed his nervousness aside to tell her what he truly thought. "I don't know if I can bear the thought of you getting married to someone else," he raised his voice a little. A few times he glanced into her eyes on and off. "Not…" He closed his eyes, nervous at his next words. It was bold to say, but he needed to for them. Sincerely, his eyes met hers. "…not unless it's not to me," he replied timid. The words came out a little louder than he thought he would say it and it was a huge commitment, but he wasn't ready to lose her.

The answer he gave stunned her. "You still…want to-?" Then, Claire shook her head and looked down toward the water. At that moment, she wanted to take back what she said. She knew it slipped out because she was caught off guard by his admission. This was harder than it already was. "Don't say that." She walked closer toward the small waterfall.

Hope became curious as to what she thought. "Even if it's true?"

Claire placed her hand underneath the water, letting the cold substance hit her hand. She didn't want to prolong this much longer. "We don't need to make this more complicated than it needs to be."

He breathed out a little and headed toward her. "Will you actually go through with this?"

At her side, she baled her hand into a fist. "You know that I don't want to."

Gently, he placed his hands against her shoulders. "Then don't."

Upset, Claire turned to him. She wanted him to stop pushing this. "Then what am I supposed to do?!"

He gave her a calm look. "Don't. If you don't want to stay, let's run away."

Confusion and anger became written on her face. It wouldn't be that easy to just leave everything behind. "That's it? We just run away? What about the agreement? Look at what we would be starting."

He looked a little serious. "I know, but look at what we would also be stopping."

"But this guy is the only one who can help get rid of this curse," she pointed out.

Hope grabbed onto her hand, determined. "We can find our own way to get rid of it. We just have to try. It's a risk we have to take."

"Even if we make the mark disappear, how are we supposed to stop the rest?" She knew there were other challenges they would have to face. She wondered if he even considered the consequences.

He looked toward the side. "I thought about it. They can't marry you off if…" Then, he lifted his eyes to her. "…you're already married to someone else. Even they have to recognize that."

Claire frowned. She didn't want to feel like she couldn't take care of herself in this. "You don't have to do this just to get me out of it! If I want, I can get out of this myself!"

He shook his head a little and looked serious. "I'm not doing this because of your arrangement." He looked toward the side. "I mean…that's not the only reason…" He rubbed the back of his head. "I've had plenty of years to get used to the idea so it's not like I'm rushing into this." He gave her with a determined stare. "I don't want you to be unhappy. It's up to you on what you want to do. I…"

Claire turned away from him as she grabbed onto her arms and looked toward the side. "Is that it?"

His eyes drifted to the side. It seemed that she needed more proof that he was serious. "No. It's not... The other reason is because I… I…" Hope breathed out. He wanted to make sure that he got the words right. He gazed deeply at her who was lit by the lights of the water. "The last few days with you were the best I've had in a while. I was happy to see you smile again and that you were having so much fun. I wanted to keep that going. Even after everything had changed, I found out one thing for me didn't." He pressed his hand against his chest. He took a moment before he spoke, "The truth is I… I love you Claire." Instantly, she felt her breath shorten as her eyes widened. He was unable to see the reaction on her face, but he was sure he saw shoulders flinched. The silence made him more anxious to know what she thought and how she felt about what he said. "Claire…? Well... say something."

"Don't…" His confession overwhelmed her. She was at a loss for words. Frustrated, she got angry. "Why did you say that?! It'll only make things worse! You'll just end up getting hurt."

Hope walked over and turned her around by her shoulders so she could face him properly. It was easy to see the distress on her face. "It doesn't have to be that way." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close.

As she closed her eyes tight, her face became buried in his shirt. Why wouldn't he let this go? Didn't he realize how much it was hurting her as well? How much it reminded her that she wasn't free to do what she wanted? "Don't do this. Don't…"

He leaned his head on top of hers as he closed his eyes. The lower half of his face was pressed against her hair. "When this first started, I didn't know where this was headed. We were just expected to be together, so back then, I'm glad that we were just friends. It took some of the pressure off. Then, over time, as we grew older, something did change. I found myself wanting to be around you more. I even became happy about the arrangement. I thought it could work." He parted from her slightly and smiled down at her even though he couldn't see her face. "After all this time, we were able to meet again. I was happy about that."

Against his chest, she shook her head. Her fists baled at her sides. "You'll be able to move on. You just don't have to think about."

"I can't help but think about it. I kept thinking about you for the year that we were separated." As much as she wanted to say something, Claire just grabbed onto his shirt. The fabric tightened in her fists. "It's up to you what you want to do." He smiled a little, bittersweet as his eyes lowered. "I'm not sure how you feel about the situation now."

Feeling more riled, he could feel her shake against him. Suddenly, she pushed him away, which surprised him. She wouldn't look at him as she shook uncontrollably. "Just stop talking!"

His face tensed. "So that's it? I'm just supposed to give up?! I'm not supposed to fight?! I'm fighting because I know that you don't want to go through with it and I think that… maybe you feel something for me too! That's why I say we can get through this!" As much as Claire tried to keep her strong front, what she wanted started to get to her more. Hope stepped forward and placed his hands on her arms. He was more determined than ever. He said the only plan he could at the moment. "Marry me." Again, her breath shortened. Her eyes widened as she looked up at him. Those two words made her stop in place. "Even if it's just us against the world, I'll be right by your side, fighting each step of the way." He leaned his head against hers. "Please... Let me know what you think about it. Do you think we should or we shouldn't? If not, I'll let it go." He stepped back from her while she still stared up at him.

Finally, she was relaxed as she looked serious. "Still persistent as ever…"

Hope let out a smile. "You were always the one telling me that I needed to be stronger so that I can fight for something. This is something I choose to fight for."

A faint smile seeped through her lips. She was touched to hear that. "Are you sure… we can find some way to get rid of this curse?"

He placed his hand gently against her arm "If we try as hard as we can, I'm sure. I'm not giving up on this."

Claire grabbed onto her other arm as her eyes traveled toward the side. "Even if no one couldn't, going through what I am now would be a waste. I don't want to live my life constantly in fear. If I'm going to die, I want to make sure that I live without regret and choose what I want. I want to do what I want. Not what someone tells me to." Soon, her faint appeared again. For now, her fear had been replaced with the courage to go against what was planned for her.

Hope nodded. "Whatever you want, I'll stand behind you."

She crossed her arms. "Even if that means that I choose to go through with the arrangement?"

"Uh…?" Instantly after saying so, she saw the hurt appear in his face once more. He closed his eyes as he breathed out. "If that's what you want. Your safety comes first." Then he felt something soft against his face, which made him open his eyes.

His gaze met that of hers as she had a smile on her face and her warm hand was his cheek. "It's nice that you're trying to be noble, but no matter how much you try, even that would be too much for you to handle."

With his eyes closed, he breathed out. "You would probably be right."

"No probably about it." Soon after, she moved in to meet him halfway. Her hands pressed against his chest as his arms wrapped around her waist. Her lips met with his in a passionate kiss, the most that they had ever shared. At that moment, they felt as if nothing could split them apart. They felt safe.

Along the path, there were soldiers walking in a line. One of the soldiers sighed, frustrated. "Are we almost out of this place yet?"

The first one in front looked back. "Quit your complaining! Just a little further and we'll be in Nautilus. Then we can drink and relax." Hearing that had made the other soldiers sigh in relief. They were ready to be done with their mission.

The sound of cracking branches alerted the two further ahead. "What was that?" They searched around until they spotted white armor and soldiers carrying guns. Claire was surprised that the soldiers had journeyed out this far, especially this late into the night. At the same time, she was on edge. If it was reported that she wasn't in Eden, they would both be in deep trouble. She couldn't be spotted. "It's PSICOM," she whispered loudly. Quickly, she lifted her head to Hope. "We need somewhere to hide!"

Anxiously, the two looked around for somewhere as the soldiers approached closer. Then, Hope grabbed onto her hand and pulled her away. "Come on!" he whispered loudly to her.

The soldier in front of the others soon came to a stop, which caught their attention. They stopped as well. "What's wrong?" one asked.

Their leader grew suspicious. "I thought I heard something." He stepped closer toward the ponds as he looked around. Things were quiet around except for the sounds of water and creatures off in the distance.

Another soldier stepped beside him tired. He just wanted to go. "It's nothing…" he groaned.

"There's nothing out here but monsters. Can we just go?"

The leader was still suspicious, but finally decided to let it go. He was tired himself. "Fine. Let's go." They started walking off.

Behind the waterfall, Hope kept his back to the water as he covered Claire with his body to make sure she wasn't seen. His arms were wrapped around her. He hoped that his clothes would blend in enough so that they wouldn't noticed. More importantly, he had to protect her. They both watched through the distorted view of the water as the soldiers walk away. They peeked from behind it to make sure that they were gone. When enough time had passed, they breathed out. Claire looked up at him. "I guess you were right about hiding behind here."

There was a look relief on his face. "I'm glad that worked out." When he looked over, he saw a smile on her lips. It made him smile in return. Their hair and clothes were wet from stepping through the waterfall, but it didn't bother them much while they were together. As he placed his hands against her cheeks, he leaned in and pressed another passionate kiss on her lips. His cold, wet hands didn't seem to bother her. Instead, her body felt warmer by his lips and tongue alone. More than that, she was relieved they were caught.

After some time, they both stepped out from underneath the waterfall. She turned to him. As much as she didn't want to leave the beautiful landscape, she knew it was best. Tonight was a close call. Too close… "I should probably head back now."

Disappointment set in, but Hope understood. "I guess… it would be best." He continued to smile at her until he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. For a moment, his eyes were glued to her until he turned away, nervous and jumpy.

Claire took noticed of his expression. It made her curious. "What?"

He kept his eyes away. While he was more than interested in taking another peek, he couldn't out of respect to her. "It's- It's nothing."

She didn't want to let the subject go. She stepped closer to him. "What is it?"

He pointed toward her while keeping his eyes away. "I could get a coat or something…if you need one."

Confused, she started to upset. "What are you talking about?"

Hope rubbed the back of his head as a light heat came to his cheeks. "The water that wet your clothes, it's made what you're wearing… kind of a little revealing…"

Claire glanced down to see what he was talking about. Her clothes stuck to her and became see-through, showing off of her curves. White was not the right thing to wear tonight and she didn't have a change of clothes with her. Quickly, she turned away from him with a blush on her face as she crossed her arms against her chest. "Well… let's just go now…"

"Right…" he replied nervously. Claire walked ahead as he followed behind her. It was hard to make his eyes avoid looking at her. Even with the distance that was between them, he could still see how her clothes were on her. Most of the time, he was able to keep his eyes away, but there was still the occasion glance...

* * *

The next night, Claire's family was gathered around the dinner table. As Serah and her father were eating, Claire stared at her plate. She rolled her food around with her fork. Hunger didn't really strike her. The offer or rather proposal that Hope made weighed heavily on her mind. What if he was right? What if there was a way to figure out how to get rid of the curse without going through this arrangement? If she couldn't get out of the arrangement, would she actually go through with his proposal? Would she accept his offer of running away? "Claire?" She snapped out of her thoughts and turned her attention to her father who called her. There was a look of concern on his face. "Is everything all right? You've barely touched your food."

Her eyes stared toward her plate as she gathered her words together. Then, she lifted her eyes to him. "I was wondering about something."

"About what?" he asked curious.

Apart of her felt uneasy, but she had to know. "I was wondering about a year ago when we broke the arrangement with the Estheims. Wouldn't it be important to make peace with them?"

His expression grew serious. "You already know why I broke the arrangement with them. Eden can grow stronger and there are others than can help. Pulse will be no match."

Inside, she got more anxious. She didn't want to risk a war with Pulse. "They run a place call the Academy. They could help with-." Before she finished, she glanced over at Serah, who stared interested in the conversation. Claire didn't want to give away what was going on in front of her.

Her father didn't want her to get the wrong idea or have her head filled with lies. "Listen. This is the best way to help. I don't want to see anything bad happen to either one of you."

Claire shook her head a little. "Dad, they're nice people."

He frowned, dismissive. "That is what they want us to believe." A surprised look came on her face as she wondered why he said that. He gave her a serious look, intent on keeping her safe. "Claire you have to be careful about who you can trust. We don't know what their true agenda could have been. If the arrangement were to actually go through, who is to say that Pulse wouldn't have tried to take over as soon as the agreement was complete?"

Claire tried to plead with him. "It wasn't like that! I'm sure that it would've worked-!"

His expression softened slightly. "Claire. I know you want to believe the best in everyone, but don't be naïve. It was better that it worked out this way. It was advised so." Before this, he hadn't planned on revealing the news he heard over a year ago, but now felt that she had a right to know. "There was news of a betrayal."

It was hard for Claire to believe. "A betrayal?"

"Yes. Close sources inside of Eden had reason to believe that they were up to something. They cannot be trusted and I will not allow you to get hurt or our world. They will say anything as long as Pulse gets their way." His words made her think. It was strange to her how Hope came out nowhere to see her again and how he fought for her not to go through the arrangement. Could it be true? Could she really trust what he was up to? Could he have used her weaknesses against her? Her father gave her a consoling look. "I know it's hard to hear, but sometimes people will just use others to get ahead. They could be the nicest people in the world, but sometimes that's only what they want you to believe. In the end, you'll end up getting hurt. I'm only looking out for your best interest." Her eyes lowered. Doubt began to set in her mind. At this point, could she really trust Hope anymore…?

Later that night, Hope arrived near the edge where he usually met her. At first, he was surprised when he got there, but then a smile crossed his lips. "Hey! You're out here early." Claire stood on the edge as there was a frown on her face. After dinner, she was still torn with what her father told her. Hope gave her no reason to distrust him, but she had to know for sure. Her father wouldn't lie to her. He took notice of her silence and serious look on her face. "Claire? Are you all right?" He parked his hoverbike on the ground and walked over to her. When he reached out toward her, she stepped back. It surprised him. She treated him like a stranger. "Claire? What's going on?"

Her expression grew more serious. "I need to know something."

He blinked, uncertain. "Sure... What do you want to know?"

She crossed her arms as they became tense around her. "One of the things I don't understand is why you came back here just to see me."

Hope reacted with surprise. "I told you why."

She frowned. "Why did you try to continue this even though the arrangement was already over?"

He grew confused. "Why are you asking me all of these questions?"

Her eyes lowered slightly. "I just want to know why you thought it was suddenly a good idea for me to ditch the arrangement to run off with you."

"I thought it was better for you so that you wouldn't have to go through with it."

She arched her eyebrow. "Tell me one more thing. Does it benefit you in anyway if I do? Maybe even your family?"

His eyes traveled down as his face tensed somewhat. "Listen. This isn't about our families. I meant everything that I said last night. Why are you questioning it now?"

She looked serious. "I talked to my father about why he stopped the arrangement. He told me that your family couldn't be trusted. That you and your family betrayed Eden. My father suspected you of trying to take over."

Hearing that had stunned and upset him. "Really?! Our family couldn't be trusted? It was your father who couldn't be trusted! He went back on his word! My family spent years trying to make this right only for it to end up like this!"

It surprised her that he would attack her father. Soon, a hard-pressed frown appeared on her lips. "You need to go now."

He went over her words in his head. He could tell that she took offense to what he said. "I'm sorry Clai-."

"Either leave now or I'll make you leave," she threatened.

At first, it hurt him to hear her say that, but then he grew upset. "After all this time, you really feel like you can't trust me?!" Her eyes drifted to the side. Her silence was enough to answer his question. As much he didn't want to let this go, his anger got the best of him. He turned and headed back to his bike. Before he left, he thought again about what was going on. His eyes lowered for a few seconds before he lifted them up to her. "Listen. I don't know what happened between last night and now, but you have to know that I would never betray you. I only have your best interest at heart." He climbed on. When he looked over, he saw that she was looking away and down with her arms crossed. He breathed out as he closed his eyes. "If you ever need me, I'll be there to help you, but if you can't trust me, then that won't be the case." Disappointment seeped through his expression. "Goodbye Claire." Soon, he took off without looking back. It hurt that she couldn't trust him, but ultimately, it was her decision and he wouldn't push it any further.

Her eyes traveled over and watched as he disappeared. Her mind was still going back and forth over on whether it was the right thing to do or not. Whether he was sincere or not, maybe it was for the best. He would be safe and no longer at risk of getting caught. At least she could rest easy knowing that. She pushed whatever sadness she had aside. She needed to get rid of her curse. As she walked away, she told herself not to focus on anything else. Still, in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder if she had made a mistake about him…

* * *

_Thank you for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


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